NCERT Solutions for Class 8
English - Honeydew
Chapter 5 – The Summit Within
1. Standing on Everest, the writer was
(i) overjoyed.
(ii) very sad.
(iii) jubilant and sad.
Choose the right item.
Ans: He was overjoyed because he had reached the highest point in the world, but
he was sad because he had had to descend to reach the real world.
2. The emotion that gripped him was one of
(i) victory over hurdles.
(ii) humility and a sense of smallness.
(iii) greatness and self importance.
(iv) joy of discovery.
Choose the right item.
Ans: Anyone can be overwhelmed by the enormity of nature's creation and feel
insignificant in its presence.
3. “The summit of the mind” refers to
(i) great intellectual achievements.
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(ii) the process of maturing mentally and spiritually.
(iii) overcoming personal ambition for common welfare.
(iv) living in the world of thought and imagination.
(v) the triumph of mind over worldly pleasures for a noble cause.
(vi) a fuller knowledge of oneself.
Mark the item(s) not relevant.
Ans: (i), (iii), (iv) and (v)
Working with Text
1. Answer the following.
(i) What are the three qualities that played a major role in the author’s climb?
Ans: Endurance, persistence, and willpower are three attributes that aided the
author's ascent.
(ii) Why is adventure, which is risky, also pleasurable?
Ans: Adventure is dangerous, but it is also enjoyable. Despite the fact that it provides
significant challenges, man enjoys overcoming such obstacles. Everest is the highest
and mightiest mountain on the planet, and countless attempts have been made to
climb it. When the author reaches the summit, he feels "exhilaration, the joy of
having done something, the sense of a war fought and won." There is a sense of
accomplishment and joy. The physical ascent of a mountain is simply one aspect of
the accomplishment. It is followed by a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
The experience is not only physical, but also emotional and spiritual in nature.
(iii) What was it about Mount Everest that the author found irresistible?
Ans: Everest, one of the world's highest and mightiest mountains, lured him in with
its beauty, aloofness, harshness, and the hardships encountered along the journey.
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Climbing it would need every ounce of one's energy due to the harsh struggle with
rock and ice. Even if one's life is at stake, it cannot be abandoned halfway. The
journey back is just as arduous as the journey forward. However, once the summit
is reached, there is a sensation of exhilaration, the joy of having accomplished
something, the sense of a war fought and won, a sense of victory and happiness. All
of these factors contributed to his inability to reject it.
(iv) One does not do it (climb a high peak) for fame alone. What does one do it
for, really?
Ans: Climbing a mountain requires endurance, tenacity, and willpower. For a
climber, demonstrating these physical abilities is exhilarating. The experience is not
only physical, but also emotional and spiritual. It undoubtedly creates significant
challenges. Man, on the other hand, enjoys conquering barriers. As a result, one does
not climb a mountain solely for the sake of glory. It is truly for the satisfaction of
having accomplished something, the sense of a struggle fought and won, a sense of
victory and contentment. There is a sense of accomplishment, the fulfillment of a
profound desire to climb above one's surroundings, the perennial love of adventure
in man.
(v) “He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in this large
universe.” This awareness defines an emotion mentioned in the first paragraph.
Which is the emotion?
Ans: This awareness describes the emotion of humility.
(vi) What were the “symbols of reverence” left by members of the team on
Everest?
Ans: The author left a picture of Guru Nanak on Everest; Rawat left a picture of
Goddess Durga; and Phu Dorji left a relic of the Buddha. Aside from these "symbols
of reverence," there was also the cross buried by Edmund Hillary.
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(vii) What, according to the writer, did his experience as an Everester teach
him?
Ans: According to the author, his experience as an Everest climber inspired him to
face life's challenges head on. It showed him that conquering the internal summit is
just as important as climbing the mountain. He also believed that the interior
summits could be higher than Everest.
2. Write a sentence against each of the following statements. Your sentence
should explain the statement. You can pick out sentences from the text and
rewrite them. The first one has been done for you.
(i) The experience changes you completely. One who has been to the mountains
is never the same again.
(ii) Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles. _______________.
(iii) Mountains are nature at its best ___________.
(iv) The going was difficult but the after-effects were satisfying __________.
(v) The physical conquest of a mountain is really a spiritual experience
________.
Ans:
(ii) Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles. The display of perseverance,
resilience, and willpower in the face of enormous adversity is delightful.
(iii) Mountains are nature at its best. The mountains' grandeur and majesty present a
huge challenge to climbers and serve as a method of communication with God.
(iv) The going was difficult but the after-effects were satisfying. Climbing the
mountains was arduous, but reaching the summit provides a sense of
accomplishment and contentment.
(v) The physical conquest of a mountain is really a spiritual experience. The physical
act of ascending to the summit of a mountain is akin to the spiritual and immensely
fulfilling experience of climbing the mountain within yourself, and any climb will
undoubtedly transform you, giving you a sense of being in touch with God.
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Working with Language
1. Fill in the blanks in the following dialogues choosing suitable phrases from
those given in the box.
at hand at once at all at a low ebb at first sight
(i) Teacher: You were away from school without permission. Go to the principal
_______ and submit your explanation. Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you help
me write it first?
(ii) Arun: Are you unwell?
Ila: No, not ____ Why do you ask?
Arun: If you were unwell, I would send you to my uncle. He is a doctor.
(iii) Mary: Almost every Indian film has an episode of love ______.
David: Is that what makes them so popular in foreign countries?
(iv) Asif: You look depressed. Why are your spirits ______ today? (Use such in
the phrase) Ashok: I have to write ten sentences using words that I have never
heard before.
(v) Shieba: Your big moment is close ________.
Jyoti: How should I welcome it?
Shieba: Get up and receive the trophy.
Ans:
(i) Teacher: You were away from school without permission. Go to the
principal at once and submit your explanation. Pupil: Yes, Madam. But would you
help me write it first?
(ii) Arun: Are you unwell?
Ila: No, not at all. Why do you ask?
Arun: If you were unwell, I would send you to my uncle. He is a doctor.
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(iii) Mary: Almost every Indian film has an episode of love at first sight.
David: Is that what makes them so popular in foreign countries?
(iv) Asif: You look depressed. Why are your spirits at such a low ebb today? (Use
such in the phrase) Ashok: I have to write ten sentences using words that I have
never heard before.
(v) Shieba: Your big moment is close at hand.
Jyoti: How should I welcome it?
Shieba: Get up and receive the trophy.
2. Write the noun forms of the following words adding -ance or -ence to each.
(i) endure ________
(ii) persist ________
(iii) signify ________
(iv) confide ________
(v) maintain ________
(vi) abhor ________
Ans:
(i) endure: endurance
(ii) persist: persistence
(iii) signify: significance
(iv) confide: confidence
(v) maintain: maintenance
(vi) abhor: abhorrence
3. (i) Match words under A with their meanings under B.
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A B
Remote Difficult to overcome
Means Most prominent
Dominant Be
overcome/overpowered
Formidable Method/s
Overwhelmed Far away from
(ii)
Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with appropriate words from under A.
(a) There were ________ obstacles on the way, but we reached our destination
safely.
(b) We have no _______ of finding out what happened there.
(c) Why he lives in a house from any town or village is more than I can tell.
(d) _______ by gratitude, we bowed to the speaker for his valuable advice.
(e) The old castle stands in a position above the sleepy town.
Ans: (i)
A B
Remote Far away from
Means Method/s
Dominant Most prominent
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Formidable Difficult to overcome
Overwhelmed Be overcome/overpowered
(ii)
(a) formidable
(b) Means
(c) Remote
(d) Overwhelmed
(e) Dominant
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